Method of mining and an improved mining machine with a shovel moveable relative to a vehicle chassis

ABSTRACT

A continuous miner having a cutting head and a conveyor mounted on a moveable chassis, the miner including a shovel mounted on a supporting structure, the shovel being translatable relative to the miner, and means for translating the shovel relative to the moveable chassis so as to be able to be moved from a rearward location to a forward location relative to the moveable chassis.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to continuous miners andimprovements in relation thereto. The invention also relates to a methodof mining particularly utilizing a continuous miner with theimprovements described herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Present continuous miners have a moveable chassis with a shovelfixed to the front end of a moveable chassis, coal loading arms, and aconveyor extending from the shovel to the rear of the moveable chassis.Some continuous miners also have roof bolters attached to the moveablechassis. The location of the roof bolters on the chassis of existingcontinuous miners leads to problems for the progression of thecontinuous miner through a mine entry, because by having the bolters ata fixed location relative to the moveable chassis prevents bolting closeto the mine face.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention provides a continuous miner comprising acutting head and a conveyor mounted on a moveable chassis, the mineralso including a shovel mounted on a supporting structure, the shovelbeing translatable relative to the miner, and means for translating theshovel relative to the moveable chassis so as to be able to be movedfrom a rearward location to a forward location relative to the moveablechassis.

[0004] More particularly, the shovel has mounted thereon at least onebolting apparatus, the shovel being translatable relative to the minerso as to be able to be moved from a rearward location to a forwardlocation whereby the bolting apparatus can be operated in the forwardlocation.

[0005] The shovel can be mounted on the miner by translation means totranslate or move the supporting structure relative to the miner.

[0006] The supporting structure or shovel can be moved to a forwardlocation, to create a work space for an operator of the bolter. The workspace created can be between the shovel and the chassis.

[0007] A plurality of bolting apparatus can located on the shovel. Thebolting apparatus can be mounted on at least one cross slide which is inturn mounted to the shovel. The bolting apparatus can be able to attendto rib bolting or alternatively one or more rib bolting apparatus isprovided on the miner.

[0008] Controls can be provided so that only when the cutting head isnot operating the shovel can be moved to the forward position. Thecontrols can also provide that only when the cutting, head is located atan appropriate height above the shovel, that the shovel are moveable toa forward location, so as to prevent collision between the shovel andthe cutting head.

[0009] The shovel can have at least one coal loading arm associatedtherewith. The conveyor can have a frame which supports the conveyorbelt, which frame has a portion pivotally mounted to the supportingstructure by means of a pivot.

[0010] The supporting structure can includes means to mount componentsassociated with supporting the conveyor belt of the conveyor between thepivot and the shovel, and the conveyor can move with the shovel.

[0011] The rear of the conveyor can be able to be raised or loweredrelative to the rear of the chassis. The conveyor also is raised orlowered by a lifting means which includes a three point linkage whichwill pass through an arc.

[0012] The translation means can include an arm pivotally connected tothe supporting structure at one end and to the chassis at the other end,the arm being able to rotate between at least a first and a secondposition. The arm can rotated by means of a hydraulic or pneumaticcylinder.

[0013] The present invention also provides a method of mining a mineentry with a continuous miner, the method including the steps of: miningthe mine entry with a cutting head mounted on the miner and gatheringthe ore thus mined; moving bolting apparatus relative to the cuttinghead from a location occupied while the cutting head is mining to aforward location so that the bolting apparatus can perform boltingoperations.

[0014] The method can include the step of moving the bolting apparatusrelative to the cutting head being performed by translating a supportingstructure on which the shovel is mounted from a location occupied whilethe cutting head is mining to a forward location. This step of movingthe bolting apparatus relative to the cutting head can performed whilesimultaneously moving the shovel, and a conveyor associated with theshovel, due to the bolting apparatus, the shovel and conveyor beingconnected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, byway of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

[0016]FIG. 1 illustrates a rear perspective view of a continuous minerwith roof bolters mounted on the supporting structure of a shovel havingits cutting head and associated structure removed;

[0017]FIG. 2 illustrates a side elevation of the continuous miner ofFIG. 1 with the shovel retracted and cutting head elevated;

[0018]FIG. 3 illustrates a side elevation of the continuous miner ofFIG. 1 with the shovel extended and cutting head raised to where it isclear of the shovel;

[0019]FIG. 4 is a plan view of the continuous miner of FIG. 1 with theshovel in a forward position;

[0020]FIG. 5 illustrates a rear view of the continuous miner of FIG. 1showing the bolting apparatus;

[0021]FIG. 6 illustrates a side elevation of the mechanism to move theshovel, bolters and conveyor of the miner of FIG. 1 in the extendedcondition;

[0022]FIG. 7 illustrates the mechanism of FIG. 6 in a retractedposition;

[0023]FIG. 8 illustrates a conveyor support mechanism;

[0024]FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the attachment bracketand cross slides to carry a bolting apparatus which is not shown for thepurpose of illustrating the features of the attachment bracket; and

[0025]FIG. 10 illustrates a plan view of the continuous miner with theshovel in the extended condition.

[0026] Before one embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, itis to be understood that the invention is not limited in its applicationto the details of the construction and the arrangements of componentsset forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orbeing carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. Use of “including”and “comprising” and variations thereof as used herein is meant toencompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well asadditional items. Use of “consisting of” and variations thereof as usedherein is meant to encompass only the items listed thereafter andequivalents thereof. Further, it is to be understood that such terms as“forward”, “rearward”, “left”, “right”, “upward” and “downward”, etc.,are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 is a continuous miner 10 which canengage a coal face 12 by means of a cutting head 14. The cutting head 14is rotatably mounted and driven on a pivoting arm 16 which can be raisedand lowered by hydraulic piston 17 so as to raise and lower the cuttinghead 14 between a position such as that shown in FIG. 3 to a higherposition as shown in FIG. 2, which locates the cutter head approximately4.5m above mine floor level 11, measured at the top of the cutter 14.The cutting head 14 can also be rotated to a location below ground levelbut this is not illustrated.

[0028] The arm 16 is pivotally mounted by pivots 13 to a chassis 15 oftracked vehicle 18, as is common in the art and will not be described inany particular detail here.

[0029] Underneath the cutting head 14 is a shovel 20 which includes coalloading arms 22 to assist with the loading of coal in the shovel 20 ontoa central conveyor 19.

[0030] A central conveyor 19 passes through the centre of the vehicle 18and extends from the shovel 20, through to the rear of the vehicle 18 ascan be seen in FIG. 4. The front of the central conveyor 19 receivescoal from the shovel 20, when in the position shown in FIG. 2 which isassisted by two rotating coal loading arms 22. The shovel 20 and thecoal loading arms 22 are mounted on to a shovel carriage frame orsupporting structure 24 which is constructed from plates which form afull boxed structure.

[0031] The supporting structure 24 is translatable, as later described,relative to the vehicle 18 so as to be able to move from a rearwardposition shown in FIG. 2 to a forward position shown in FIG. 3.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7, the supporting structure 24includes two pentagonal plates 25 through which pass, and which support,pivots 27, at lower portions thereof. Also mounted to the pivots 27 arethe distal ends 31 of pistons 33 and chevron shaped arms-35. Theproximal ends 37 of the pistons 33 and the other ends 39 of arms 35 areall rotatably connected by pivots 43 and 45 respectively to the chassis15 of the tracked vehicle 18.

[0033] The central conveyor 19, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, is inits raised orientation. This raised orientation occurs when thecylinders 70 are fully extended which causes the rear portion 73 of theconveyor 19 to pivot around forward pivots 71. These forward pivots 71are also respectively mounted to the plates 25 above the pivots 27. Asthe cylinders 70 lower, irrespective of the position of the shovel 20,the base surfaces 75 of the frame (which supports the rollers thatcarries the conveyor belting) of conveyor 19 will slide over translatingand rotating pivot bearings 77 (see FIG. 8). The rotating andtranslating pivoting bearings 77 accommodate a change in the distancebetween the bearings 77 and pivots 71 as the cylinders 70 extend orretract.

[0034] As is illustrated in FIG. 8, the raising and lowering mechanismof the conveyor 19 also includes struts 79 which rotate as the cylinders70 extend or retract. The struts 79 are pivoted to the vehicle 18 bypivots 171, while the cylinders 70 are pivoted to the vehicle 18 bypivots 170. Third pivots 172 complete the mechanism, to which thebearings 171, distal ends of the pistons of cylinders 70, and the otherends of struts 79 are rotatably mounted.

[0035] To move the shovel 20, coal loading arms 22, bolters 26,supporting structure 24 and conveyor 19 from a retracted to an extendedcondition, the pistons 33 receive hydraulic pressure to rotate the arms35 to the orientation of FIG. 6. This moves the conveyor 19 from left toright over the bearings 77 as the plates 25 are translated also fromleft to right. The shovel 20 follows an arcuate path with the tip orforward end of shovel 20 maintaining contact with the mine floor 11. Themine floor 11 will bear the weight of the shovel 20 until such time asthe shovel 20 is fully retracted (by pistons 33 retracting to theposition illustrated in FIG. 7) and pistons 81 are extended thus liftingthe shovel 20 from the mine floor 11 and making the vehicle 18 ready fortramming.

[0036] Other mechanisms could be used for moving the supportingstructure 24, such as slides or rails (not illustrated) which caninclude replaceable bronze bearings or hardened steel bearing plates. Ifdesired other motivating mechanisms can be provided such as rack andpinion drives, power threads etc.

[0037] The central conveyor 19 is preferably driven by a motor andtransmission (not shown) which is located on the support structure 24.The motor and transmission is also used to drive the coal loading arms22. If desired, a separate motor and drive (not shown) can be providedfor the coal loading arm 22 which can be mounted on the moveable supportstructure 24. In other embodiments, the central conveyor motor andtransmission can be located at other locations along the conveyor, suchas above the vehicle 18.

[0038] As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 6, two bolting apparatus 26 aremounted on cross slides 28. While only two bolters 26 are indicated,a-second bolter on each cross slide 28 can be added to provide fourbolters 26 mounted on two forward cross slides 28. The cross slides 28are attached to the support structure 24 via an attachment bracket 91.The attachment bracket 91 allows the bolters 26 to be mounted via theirbases or as close thereto as possible. As can be seen from FIG. 5, by somounting the bolters 26 at their base, a greater useful range ofindexing positions of the bolters 26 can be achieved. The indexing orpositioning of the bolters 26 in the clockwise/anticlockwise directionsin FIG. 5 (inboard and outboard directions) is controlled by thecylinders 97, while indexing into and out of the page of FIG. 5 (in-byand out-by directions) are controlled by cylinders 95. As illustrated inFIG. 9, the ability to rotate the bolter 26 in the inboard direction100, outboard direction 101, in-by direction 102 and out-by direction103 is a result of the three attachment points 104, 105 and 106.

[0039] Attachment point 105 consists of a channel cross section bracket107 (to receive a forward portion of the bolter 26) which is mounted viaa spherical bearing 108 to the attachment bracket 91. The sphericalbearing 108 will allow rotation of the bracket 107 in each of thedirections 100, 101, 102 and 103. The bearing 108 is housed in thebracket 91 and is not able to move translate relative to the bracket 91.

[0040] Attachment point 106 consists of a channel cross section bracket109 (to receive a rearward portion of the bolter 26) which is connectedto a spherical bearing 110. The spherical bearing 110 is mounted in ahousing 111 which is attached to the end of a piston 114 which movesinto and out of the cylinder 95 to control the movement in the in-by andout-by directions 102 and 103. The housing 111 is constrained totranslate relative to the bracket 91 in the vertical direction only, andto guide and reduce friction vertically oriented bearing guides 112 and113 are provided on either side of the housing 111. Attachment point 104connects to a side, a front face or a rear face of the bolter 26 bymeans of a bracket 115. The bracket 115 is connected to the cylinder 97by means of a pin 116. The pin 116 accommodates the rotation between thecylinder 97 and the bracket 115, when movement in the inboard andoutboard directions 100 and 101 are performed.

[0041] The bracket 91 is mounted to a carriage 120 which in turnslidably engages cross slides 121 and 122. The carriage 120 is movedalong the cross slides 121 and 122 by means of a hydraulic cylinder 123,which provides inboard and outboard translation capability to move thebolters 26, by means of bracket 91, across some of the width of the mineentry.

[0042] Illustrated in FIG. 10 is a plan view of the continuous miner 10,showing the location of the control boxes 130 which house the controlsystems and hydraulic valves to control the components described above.Banks of control valves 132 are also shown by which the operator canactivate the levers of the valves to cause the components to move asdesired. A rib bolter 133 is also attached to the side of the vehicle18.

[0043] Thus, from the figures it can be seen that the forward movementof the shovel 20 and its supporting structure 24 also moves the crossslides 28 and thus the bolter 26 to a forward position.

[0044] This movement of the shovel 20 and its support structure 24 hasthree advantages over prior art continuous miners. One advantage is thatwhen the miner 10 is mining (that is the cutting head 14, conveyor 19and coal loading arms 22 are functioning), the roof bolters 26, crossslides 28, shovel 20, supporting structure 24, and the coal loading arms22 and associated drives are in a retracted position thus assisting inmaintaining a centre of gravity which is conducive to the operation ofthe cutting head 14.

[0045] A second advantage of moving the shovel 20 and its supportingstructure 24 to a forward location away from the vehicle 18, is thatthis creates or increases the amount of space available to an operatoras a work area to operate the bolter 26.

[0046] Another advantage however is the ability to get the roof bolters26 bolting at a location which is much closer to the face 12 of the mineentry and or closer to the cutting head than in the prior art.

[0047] If desired, a work platform (not shown) can be provided on thesupporting structure 24 so that mine workers do not have to be on themine floor 11 and to keep them clear of possible pinch points that mayarise due to the movement of the shovel 20 and its supporting structure24.

[0048] The controls of the miner 10, in addition to all the controlfacilities that are usually provided, can also provide:

[0049] 1. when the cutting head 14 and or the conveyor 19 isoperational, then the shovel 20, its supporting structure 24 and allother components mounted thereon, cannot be moved out of the retractedcondition.

[0050] 2. trip interlocks to ensure that the cutting head 14 is raisedto a sufficient height before the shovel 20, its supporting structure 24and all other components mounted thereon, are able to be moved from theretracted condition to the forward or extended location.

[0051] 3. that the cutting head 14 and the conveyor 19 can only beoperated once the shovel 20, its supporting structure 24 and all othercomponents mounted thereon, are in the fully retracted condition.

[0052] As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3 and its associated description,a method of mining a mine entry with a continuous miner is alsoprovided, the method including the steps of mining said mine entry 12with a cutting head 14 mounted on the miner 10. The ore thus mined canbe gathered until the cutting head 14 can mine no more ore in thatlocation. Then the roof bolting apparatus 26 can be moved relative tothe cutting head 14 from their location occupied while the cutting head14 is mining, to a forward location so that the said roof bolters 26 canperform roof bolting operations. These steps can be performed in anyorder. The step of moving the roof bolting apparatus 26 relative to saidcutting head 14 is performed by translating the supporting structure 24on which shovel 20 is mounted from a rearward location occupied whilethe cutting head 14 is mining, to a forward location.

[0053] While the embodiment illustrated in the figures has the conveyor19 moving with the support structure 24 and shovel 20, if desired thecontinuous miner can be constructed so that the conveyor remainsstationary, while the support structure 24, shovel 20 and boltingapparatus 26 moves forward and rearward. More particularly, the supportstructure 24 could have its own conveyor (not shown) with a rearwardportion that overlaps a conveyor (not shown) on the vehicle 18, so thatas the shovel 20 moves forward, the two conveyors continue to overlap sothat the mined material will still be conveyed through the miner.

[0054] It will be understood that the invention disclosed and definedherein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of theindividual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. Allof these different combinations constitute various alternative aspectsof the invention.

[0055] The foregoing describes embodiments of the present invention andmodifications obvious to those skilled in the art can be made thereto,without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1. A continuous miner comprising a cutting head and a conveyor mountedon a moveable chassis, said miner also including a shovel mounted on asupporting structure, said shovel having mounted thereon at least onebolting apparatus, said shovel being translatable relative to saidminer, and means for translating said shovel relative to said moveablechassis from a rearward location to a forward location relative to saidmoveable chassis whereby said bolting apparatus can be operated in saidforward location.
 2. A continuous miner as claimed in claim 1 whereinwhen said shovel is moved to a forward location, a work space for anoperator of said bolter is created.
 3. A continuous miner as claimed inclaim 2 wherein said bolting apparatus are mounted on at least one crossslide which is in turn mounted to said shovel.
 4. A continuous miner asclaimed in claim 3, wherein said work space is created between saidshovel and said chassis.
 5. A continuous miner as claimed in claim 1wherein a plurality of bolting apparatus is located on said shovel.
 6. Acontinuous miner as claimed in claim 5, wherein said bolting apparatusare mounted on at least one cross slide which is in turn mounted to saidshovel.
 7. A continuous miner as claimed in claim 1 wherein said boltingapparatus are mounted on at least one cross slide which is in turnmounted to said shovel.
 8. A continuous miner as claimed in claim 1wherein one or more rib bolting apparatus is provided on said miner. 9.A continuous miner as claimed in claim 1 wherein controls are providedso that only when said cutting head is not operating said shovel can bemoved to said forward position.
 10. A continuous miner as claimed inclaim 1 wherein controls are provided so that only when the cutting headis located at an appropriate height above said shovel, that said shovelare moveable to a forward location, so as to prevent collision betweensaid shovel and said cutting head.
 11. A continuous miner as claimed inclaim 1 wherein said shovel has at least one coal loading arm associatedtherewith.
 12. A continuous miner as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidconveyor has a frame which has a portion pivotally mounted to saidsupporting structure.
 13. A continuous miner as claimed in claim 1,wherein said conveyor moves with said shovel.
 14. A continuous miner asclaimed in claim 1 wherein said conveyor is mounted above the rear ofsaid moveable chassis and said conveyor and is able to be raised orlowered relative to the rear of said chassis.
 15. A continuous miner asclaimed in claim 14, wherein said conveyor is raised or lowered by alifting means connected between said moveable chassis and said conveyorwhich includes a three point linkage which will pass through an arc. 16.A continuous miner as claimed in claim 15 wherein said lifting meansincludes a bearing which will engage the frame of said conveyor.
 17. Acontinuous miner as claimed in claim 1 wherein said translation meansincludes an arm pivotally connected to said supporting structure at oneend and to said chassis at the other end.
 18. A continuous miner asclaimed in claim 19, wherein said arm is rotated by means of a hydrauliccylinder.
 19. A continuous miner comprising a cutting head and aconveyor mounted on a moveable chassis, said miner also including ashovel mounted on a supporting structure, said shovel being translatablerelative to said miner, and means for translating said shovel relativeto said moveable chassis so as to be able to be moved from a rearwardlocation to a forward location relative to said moveable chassis.
 20. Amethod of mining a mine entry with a continuous miner, said methodincluding the steps of: mining said mine entry with a cutting headmounted on said miner and gathering the ore thus mined; and movingbolting apparatus relative to said cutting head from a location occupiedwhile the cutting head is mining to a forward location so that saidbolting apparatus can perform bolting operations.
 21. A method asclaimed in claim 20, wherein moving said bolting apparatus relative tosaid cutting head is performed by translating a supporting structure onwhich said shovel is mounted from a location occupied while the cuttinghead is mining to a forward location.
 22. A method as claimed in claim21, wherein said step of moving said bolting apparatus relative to saidcutting head is performed while simultaneously moving said shovel, and aconveyor associated with said shovel.